Something Like That
by 22-Ti
Summary: Beca goes to the county fair and runs into a redheaded stranger who mesmerizes her world. Inspired by the song by Tim McGraw with the same title.


Labor Day weekend meant Beca and Stacie's senior year of high school started soon. They normally spent the long weekend as they always did - goofing off and enjoying their last taste of freedom before teachers and classes and homework.

"Stace - seriously? We're seventeen! I'll be eighteen in a few weeks and you STILL insist on doing this? We aren't kids anymore." Beca finished pumping her gas and slipped the nozzle back into the pump.

Her tall brunette buddy slipped into the passenger seat, laughing as she tossed her pal a Coke. "Buck up Beca. This... is a tradition." She nonchalantly waved her friend in the direction of the county fair. "Onward ho," she announced with a flourish of her hand.

Beca navigated her car down the dirt path and parked in a row next to the pickups and other vehicles in the grass lot. She upended her Coke to drain the rest before tossing the empty can into the backseat of her car. Stacie and she had been going to the county fair on Labor Day weekend as long as she could remember. The carnival was small and the rides rickety - but the food was surprisingly tasty. All in all, Beca had to agree that this tradition was good.

Stacie's long legs allowed her to reach the crowds first. She came jogging back to her friend with a fistful of ride and food tickets. "First round's on me Mitchell. Keep you from sulking."

Beca immediately dragged her friend to her favorite barbecue sandwich truck. The shorter girl piled her chopped beef high with pickles and onions before taking a huge juicy bite. "Damn that's good."

Stacie laughed as she dabbed Beca's shirt with paper towels. "Shit Becs, I can't take you anywhere. This sauce is going to leave a stain. Why'd the hell you wear a white t-shirt anyway?"

The friends wandered around, greeting people they hadn't seen all summer and keeping their hands and faces full of unhealthy but delicious fair food. "That's the last of the tickets Mitchell. You're up next." Stacie was talking to a fellow basketball player and nudged her shorter friend towards the nearest ticket booth.

Beca's head was down as she dug cash from her pocket. When she looked up, she froze. She saw a girl she'd never seen before - not in their small town nor anywhere. The girl had fire red hair which matched the perfect sunset the weather had given them. _Red sky at night, sailors' delight_ was all Beca could think - part of a phrase her uncle taught her about weather forecasting on the ocean. A sailor's moon. A thought flickered through her mind that this was going to turn into a night she'd never forget.

The girl with the amber hair turned from the ticket line and saw Beca staring at her. She gave a small wave before heading back towards the group she was with.

Beca unconsciously rubbed her hand on her shirt. "Fuck," she muttered as she looked down to see the barbecue stain had grown larger on her white t-shirt.

She ran to the ticket booth, shoved some cash through the window, and grabbed a fistful of tickets. Beca sprinted back to Stacie and gave her some tickets before racing off in the direction she'd seen the redhead go. She finally found the girl, by herself thankfully, standing at the river's edge. Beca froze when she saw the short miniskirt the girl wore. When the girl reached down to pick up a flat rock from the ground, Beca had to run her tongue over her lips as all the moisture had been sucked right out of them. She couldn't keep her eyes off the creamy skin displayed in front of her.

The redhead tried to skip her rock, but it just plunked into the water. Beca smiled and walked up behind her. "It's all in the way you hold your wrist." She placed one hand on the girl's hip and showed her how to hold the other wrist. Beca dropped a flat rock into her hand and encouraged her to try again.

When the rock took three skips this time, the girl squealed happily and turned to face Beca. The brunette was nearly bowled over by the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen, like a clear sky right after a storm. "That was awesome. I've never been able to do that," she chirped.

Beca hid her blush as she picked up another rock to throw herself. When she got six skips out of hers, the girl gave an even louder squeal. Beca had been skipping rocks since she was four. But if it made the girl this excited, she'd keep doing it all night.

"Hi," the redhead stuck out her hand. "I'm Chloe."

"Beca." She couldn't help but to notice how smooth and soft Chloe's hand was. Her hands were rough at best from working on the farm. She motioned to her shirt. "Sorry about the way I look and all. I kind of get carried away with the food on the first night of the fair."

"The food is just so yummy," Chloe announced. "I don't blame you." Beca took a look at the girl standing in front of her. Chloe was wearing a spaghetti strap top and had a faint suntan line on her shoulders. The only make up she wore was this bright red lipstick. God Beca hoped she wasn't obviously staring.

Chloe turned and began to walk back up the riverbank towards the crowd. "Are you here with anyone?" The redhead's question seemed innocent.

Beca chuckled as she followed the girl. "Just Stacie, my best friend. No telling where she's off at. You?" Chloe nodded and mentioned that a few of her school buddies had made the drive over from Atlanta before classes started next week. "Seniors?"

Chloe giggled. "Juniors. In college."

"Oh." Beca wasn't sure how to respond. "Thirsty?" She waved some tickets. "I can get us a Coke." Chloe nodded so Beca went to her favorite drink truck and got a bottle of Mexican Coke with two straws. "I can get you your own if you like. This stuff is super sweet though, too sweet for some. They make it with real cane sugar like back in the old days."

Chloe giggled as she stuck her straw into the bottle along with Beca's. "That's ok. I can share. It's cute."

The girls walked around the fair, visiting. Chloe was amazed at the food and games and rides. When Beca won her a stuffed animal by shooting at targets, the redhead was delighted and impressed. Beca tried to teach Chloe to shoot - She put her arms around the redhead's and guided her on how best to ping the metal targets. But Chloe was beyond help.

Beca kept stealing glances at the Ferris wheel. Stacie always teased her because she was terrified of heights. But she really wanted to take Chloe on the ride. Beca knew she'd just met the girl, but she wanted to kiss her. Had to kiss her. Then her mind got to messing with her. Why would a junior in college want to kiss her – a high school senior. Was Chloe even gay? Did she even like Beca?

Beca made a plan in her mind. Chloe had been holding Beca's hand for a while, so Beca decided to see if she'd ride the Ferris wheel with her. Then when they stopped at the top, Beca would try to kiss her. The worst that could happen would be Chloe would reject her. At least it wouldn't be far when Beca jumped from embarrassment.

After counting her tickets to make sure she had enough for them both to ride, Beca shyly asked the redhead if she'd like to go on the wheel. "Is it safe?"

Beca squeezed her hand. "I won't let anything happen to you." She tried to put on a brave front so Chloe wouldn't sense her terror. They stood in line and when their turn came to get strapped into their bucket, the ride operator just winked.

As the bucket went up a bit to allow more riders on, Chloe latched onto Beca's hand. They had left her stuffed animal on the ground so it wouldn't fall out which gave Beca room to scoot as close as she could. She put her arm around the girl's shoulder and offered her other hand so Chloe still had something to hold onto. As the wheel started and stopped allowing riders off and on, Beca convinced Chloe to open her eyes and look around. She pointed out the river, her farm, the town where the high school was, everything. Soon Chloe was much more relaxed. As the wheel was full of new riders, it made several non-stop rotations. Chloe continued her trademark giggles as she buried her head in Beca's chest.

Then the ride started to let riders out one car at a time. When they stopped at the apex, Beca decided it was do or die. She shifted her body around to face Chloe and gently tucked her fingers under the redhead's chin. Chloe turned to look at Beca, her tongue peeking out of her mouth. She glanced down to Beca's lips in anticipation of the kiss that was coming.

They moved towards each other in tandem, each breathing out a sigh as their lips touched. The car jerked forward, and Chloe's tongue slipped out to touch Beca's lips. The brunette softly opened her mouth and met Chloe's tongue with her own. The kiss was soft, an unforgettable kiss as they gently explored each other's mouth.

As if no time had passed, the ride operator was clanging on their gate. "Time to go love birds." Beca blushed as she held Chloe's hand to help her off the ride. Chloe grabbed her stuffed animal and walked away with Beca.

"Oh my God Chloe!" The pair's bliss was interrupted by an extremely loud and obnoxious blonde who was way over dressed for a small county fair. "Where have you been? We've looked everywhere for you." Chloe's hand tightened around Beca's. "This fair is lame. We've been ready to go for hours but couldn't find you." Without even acknowledging Beca, the blonde grabbed Chloe's other hand and yanked her towards the parking lot.

Tears welled up in Chloe's eyes as she had to let go of Beca's hand or fall flat on her face. "I'm sorry," she mouthed as the blonde dragged her away. Beca was so shocked she didn't even think of doing anything until the group of college students had disappeared.

Beca knew right then and there ... a heart don't forget something like that.

* * *

Beca and Stacie's senior year passed without incident. Occasionally Beca would talk her friend into driving into Atlanta and hitting up some college parties in hopes of finding Chloe. She felt like an idiot that she hadn't gotten the girl's number or even her last name. What Beca did know was that no matter what she did, the memories blue-eyed beauty with fire engine red hair would always be engraved on her mind.

Five years later, Stacie and Beca were headed on a west bound plane for an early college graduation present from their folks. They were headed over to New Orleans to meet some friends for Mardi Gras.

As they found their seats, Beca heard a voice from the past coming from a few rows back. Her head snapped up from trying to shove her bag under the seat. She couldn't believe who she saw.

Chloe sauntered up and wiggled out of the way of the other passengers trying to get on. She said, "I bet you don't remember me."

Beca grinned before answering. "Only with every other memory. I had a barbecue stain on my white t-shirt. You were killing me in that miniskirt. Skippin' rocks on the river by the railroad tracks. You had a suntan line and red lipstick

I worked so hard for that first kiss. And a heart don't forget something like that."

Stacie had her hands on the overhead bin. "Let me guess. You are the Chloe I've been hearing about for the last five years." The redhead nodded. Stacie motioned towards where Chloe had been sitting. "And is that the blonde who so rudely rushed you off before my bestie here could even learn your last name?"

"Yup," Chloe giggled.

"This should be fun. You two enjoy," Stacie smirked as she went back to sit next to the blonde.

_Like an old photograph  
__Time can make a feeling fade  
__But the memory of a first love  
__Never fades away_

...

_A heart don't forget, no a heart don't forget  
__I said a heart don't forget something like that  
__Oh, not something like that_

* * *

A/N: I heard this song again a month or two ago and thought it would make a great Bechloe one-shot. I hope you agree.

_Something Like That_  
Tim McGraw


End file.
